The present invention relates generally to reusable shipping containers, and more particularly to an improved reusable shipping container having environmentally sealable modular construction.
Environmentally sealed shipping containers known in the prior art have found substantial use in protecting commercial products under long term storage or in transport under environmentally challenging conditions. The prior art containers typically are constructed of fiberglass, rotationally molded plastic, injection molded plastic, blow molded plastic or welded metal, preferable reusable, and are used in applications in which the protected product may be sensitive to temperature, humidity or other environmental hazards.
Examples of relevant prior art packaging and shipping containers include those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,893,588 to Martin wherein a drawn sheet of metallic or plastic material pallet is used as the base of a heavy-duty container, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,050,604 to Flanders and U.S. Pat. No. 5,170,933 to Perry disclosing disassemblable reusable containers, and U.S. patent U.S. Pat. No. 5,287,970 to Weidt for a plastic container having pocket-like free spaces. Other reusable containers in the prior art are typically of a heavy metallic construction or are limited to certain specific sizes because of the limitations on the plastic molding processes.
The invention solves or substantially reduces in critical importance problems with previously existing reusable shipping containers by providing an environmentally sealable plastic shipping container having a main container cover and base comprising a set of plastic extrusions and end caps, connected by tenon-type joints facilitating construction using commercially available adhesives and optional aluminum extrusions with commercially available mechanical fasteners where desirable for facilitating rapid opening or closing of the container. The container of the invention may be constructed of substantially any size and rectangular geometry without special molds or tooling. When the container is no longer suitable for its intended purpose, the plastic material of which the container is constructed can be recycled by returning the container to a reprocessing facility for melting or regrinding the plastic for reuse.
It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide an improved environmentally sealable reusable shipping container.
It is another object of the invention to provide an environmentally friendly shipping container.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a container easily fabricated to any desired size using standard hardware and no special tools.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide an environmentally sealable container having substantially standard component part configurations and may be fabricated to substantially any size using standard parts.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a container whose structural material can be reground and recycled and reused or remanufactured as a container defined by the invention.
These and other objects of the invention will become apparent as a detailed description of representative embodiments proceeds.